Improvement in gas apparatus



P. 'W. MACKEN'ZIE. y ,Bas-Apparatus.

No, 168,265, Pa1enwdsept.28,1s75.

z l l UNITED STATES PATENT FFIGE IMPROVEMENTIN GAS APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 168,265, dated September 28, 1875,; application :filed November 7, 1874. Y

`OASE A.

applied to the production of a mixture of hydrogen and carbonio-oxide gas in accordance* with a continuous process for which Letters Patent were issued to me on July 6, 1875, and which consists in a combustion of coal, coke, or other carbonaceous material, with steam which has been previously heated to the point at Which its oxygen will enter into combustion.

The invention consists, first, in a novel construction of the retort in which the steam is heated before passing to the decomposingchamber, said retort being composed of a series of compartments mounted one upon the other, and communicating with each other by contracted-openings in their bottoms, or tops of the compartments immediately beneath them, whereby the vaporis intensely heated before passing to the decomposing-chamber. The invention also consists in a construction of the decomposingchamber without a grate, and with its cinder or ash pit of larger dimensions at its top than the lower end of the decompos- Figure 1 represents averti cal section, mainly on the line w fw in Fig.'3, through the retort and decomposing-chamber of the apparatus, in combination with acondenser and steam-jets connecting the decomposing-chamber with the condenser. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the retort on the line x x in Fig. 3; Fig. 3, a horizontal section on the line y y in Fig. l; and Fig. 4, a further horizontal section, in part, on the line :v a: in Fig. 1.

A is the retort, down and through which the steam, introduced by a pipe, b, from above, is made to circulate and pass and finally escape of the retort is prevented, and the steam entering the retort at the top caused to circulate up and down Within each section d in succession, by reason of the superior heat on the outside v to that at the center of the retort, before the steam, as it descends from section to section through the contracted apertures e, ultimately passes off below. This enables me to impart a very high temperature to the steam before it enters the decomposing-chamber. C is the tireplace for heating the retort A, and from which the gaseous products of combustion pass up through a iiue, g, subject to the usual embarrassment by bridges or partitions h on the sides and ends of the retort, and'ultimately escape by the outlet fi, the lsteam from the pipe b having its heat gradually increased as it successively circulates Within the sections 'd until it reaches the lower section of the retort, where it is in communication With the decomposingchamber. By the time the steam reaches the lowest section d it, by the hereinbeforedescribed construction of the retort, attains a heat which is limited only by the capability of the materials to withstand the tire. From the lower one of the sections d of the retort the highly-superheated steam passes immediately into the decomposing-chamber B, and before it su'ers any` loss in its temperature, and while it is very nearly or quite at the temperature of the decomposing-chamber, so that the liberated hydrogen will not reduce the temperature of the latter. This is very important, and the construction of the retort as described facilitates such results. The decomposing-chamber B is constructed of the mostrefractory and p which is a self-feeder, is made without a grate, and the cinder and ash pit D of larger dimeln sions at its top than the base or lower end of the decomposingchamber, to admit ofthe free circulation ofthe intensely-heated steam over the spreading arch la and through an encircling channel, l, around the burning fuel, and to insure its entering the decomposing-cham ber at all points.

By dispensing with a grate to the decompos ing-chamber I do away with loss by radiation below and utilize the full heat of the steam. The ash-pit D is also made unusually deep, to prevent radiation from below. The coke,-when coliingcoal is used, together with the cinder and ash, are removed from below.

When it is required to produce hydrogen, then the fuel in the decomposing-chamber, which is vsupplied through the throat from above, need not be more than from twelve to t'teen inches, or thereabout, above the point of entrance of the steam to be decomposed. The product bein g hydrogen and carbonio acid, the latter is removed by the usual well-known or any other suitable means.

When hydrogen and carbonio oxide are required to be produced, the decomposing-chamber B should be kept full, or nearly so, of fuel. To lrindletheapparatus, airis admitted to Ythe top of the retort A by a pipe, m, of larger area than the steam-pipe b, and the furnace below the retort started at the same time, and when the temperature of the retort has reached the proper point the air is excluded from the pipe m and the combustion or decomposition` is continued by the oxygen ofthe steam.

rlhe steam-jet exhausters E E, which it is proposed to arrange in duplicate in case of accident happening to either one, maybe of any suitable construction, n n being the contracted steam-jet pipes; o o, the-valves con- `wet or dry lime-purifiers. The other function of the steam jet or. jets is to cause the steam to combine with and take up the ammonia which is developed from most fuels, and also apart of the sulphureted hydrogen, such union being insured by the passage of the whole through the contracted portion of the steamjet pipes.

of any suitable construction, and which removesthe steam and other impurities comn bined with the gas.

I claim- 1. The sectionally-constructed retort A., encompassed by a flue, g, and composed of compartments d, mounted one upon the other, in. combination with the contracted apertures e, connecting said compartments, a steaminlet, b, in communication with the upper one of said compartments, and a steam-outlet, c, below, connecting said retort with the decomposingchamber of the apparatus, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

2. The decomposingchamber B, constructed with afree open bottom, and having its cinder or ash pit D of greater area at its top than the base of the decomposing-chamber, in combination with the retort, essentially as described.

P. W. MACKENZIE.

Witnesses FRED. HAYNES, `FERD TUsoH.

Ilhe combined steam and gas is passed through the condenser, which may be 

